The present invention relates to an in-vehicle apparatus control system, an in-vehicle apparatus control method, and an in-vehicle apparatus control program.
Vehicles are equipped with various apparatuses, such as audio equipment, an automotive navigation system, and an electronic toll collection (ETC) system. These apparatuses are referred to as an in-vehicle apparatus, hereinafter.
In-vehicle apparatuses are easily detached from a vehicle by a user. Therefore, there is a risk that someone steals an in-vehicle apparatus for impermissible or unauthorized use. Moreover, in the case of an in-vehicle apparatus, such as an ETC system, that is used for a vehicle registered in advance with a specific institution, there is a risk that a user installs the in-vehicle apparatus in anther vehicle with no permission for unauthorized use.
Accordingly, there are a variety of proposals for detection of unauthorized installation of an in-vehicle apparatus. In a known technique, a monitor recognizes a vehicle registration plate, vehicle-type information, etc. through an image pictured by a camera. A server receives a result of recognition over a network to detect an in-vehicle apparatus installed with no authorization. Then, the monitor receives a result of detection over the network to warn a user of unauthorized installation.
However, in the known technique explained above, image recognition and data communications take time and hence it is difficult to quickly detect unauthorized installation of an in-vehicle apparatus before unauthorized use. Furthermore, the known technique is disadvantageous in the accuracy of detection of unauthorized installation of an in-vehicle apparatus, depending on how or where a vehicle registration plate is attached, in what surrounding environment, the registration plate is pictured by a camera.